A New Approach for Passive UHF RFID Sensing

The Internet of Things (IoT) needs sensors. The ever-increasing desire to measure our environment has already cut out the cables from the sensors by means of such technologies as ZigBee and Bluetooth Smart. However, a sensor node's lifetime is usually limited to battery life. This can be extended using expensive energy-scavenging solutions. However, a lot of deployment sites lack potential energy to be scavenged, and the accumulators used with scavengers tend to have a limited amount of charging phases.

Tech Mahindra launches NFC enabled mobile wallet MoboMoney

IT services company Tech Mahindra has launched a mobile wallet called MoboMoney, which uses a near field communication (NFC) tag to pay merchants who have NFC enabled POS’ and other NFC enabled mobile phones, reports ET. Users can use MoboMoney to pay at offline as well as online retailers, while those who do not have NFC enabled on their phones only need to tap the tag on the merchant POS to pay for their goods. The wallet is available as an Android app.

RFID Passes the Sniff Test at Sephora's Flash Boutique

Sephora, a beauty products retailer owned by LVMH, is employing Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID technology to bring a more interactive experience to shoppers at its Sephora Flash boutique. The retailer has added NFC passive RFID tags to the bottoms of perfume testers (bottles that shoppers used to sample fragrances), and has installed readers behind touchscreens to display content regarding a particular product. Shoppers can also use a card with an embedded NFC RFID tag to create a shopping cart that includes items not in the store, along with those that are present, enabling them to buy all desired items during a single sales transaction.

Taking care of your RFID

Technology can help ease traffic and lessen the stress levels of common Filipinos while on the road. An example of this is the Autosweep RFID sticker used for the Skyway and the South Luzon Expressway. This is a battery-less device for electronic toll collection equipped with radio frequency identification system or RFID. Here's how you can take care of your RFID sticker and your Autosweep RFID card.

B.O.S. RFID and Mobile Division Won a Governmental Bid of $380,000 for Tracking and Counting Assets Via RFID

B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd. ("BOS" or the "Company") announced that its RFID and Mobile Division won a bid from an Israeli Governmental Ministry for tracking and counting the Ministry's assets in various locations in Israel. The bid amounted to $380,000, and the service is planned to be provided during 2016.

Uzi Parizat, VP Sales and Marketing RFID and Mobile Division, stated: "The solution we offer the Ministry reflects our capabilities and expertise in the field of Automatic Identification and Data collection. Our solution is comprised of  software, RFID ("Radio Frequency Identification") automatic readers and varied RFID tags. In addition, we will provide the workforce that will label the assets with RFID tags and conduct the actual counting of the assets."

KLM Maintenance Cuts Parts' Packaging Costs With RFID

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) is the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arm of Air France KLM, one of the top five airlines in the world. The MRO unit supports 1,500 airplanes operated by 150 airline customers, and its 300 facilities worldwide remove parts from those planes, repair or refurbish them, or provide scheduled maintenance. Tracking all of these parts posed a logistical challenge, but the company has deployed a radio frequency identification system to automate the process and cut costs.

Target to launch its own mobile payment service?

US retail giant Target is in the early stages of developing its own mobile payment service. “Target’s team has taken some important decisions such as partnering with credit card companies,” Reuters reports. “The mobile wallet could launch as early as next year.” Target is the latest member of retailer-led consortium MCX to show interest in launching its own mobile payment service, following in the footsteps of Walmart which launched Walmart Pay earlier this month.

Smart Card Alliance White Paper Explores Uses Of NFC Beyond Payments

Near Field Communications (NFC) technology gets a lot of attention for its ability to enable contactless payments, but less known is that it also can be used to enable secure and convenient transactions in non-payments applications, such as marketing, identity, access, ticketing and gaming. The Smart Card Alliance today released a white paper that explores non-payments NFC implementations that are breaking new ground, and the security approaches that are being used to protect sensitive user credentials within NFC applications.

This Silicon Valley store wants to sell the Internet of Things

A new retail shop in Silicon Valley is unlike those around it and will offer the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things is about objects being linked together. Think connected cars, thermostats controlled through your phone or drones that connect to Wi-Fi. But it's hard to convince anyone this sort of thing works through a website, or through traditional retailers, where products typically are organized by category, not how they relate to one another.

RFID Readers Market to Surpass 21% Growth to 2020 Dominated by Retail Sector

The market for RFID readers is largely untapped, providing a huge opportunity for vendors. Vendors invest in R&D to provide customers with unique, secure, and low cost RFID system. This bodes well for the market.

According to the Global RFID Readers Market 2016-2020 report, real-time tracking of goods through the supply chain with RFID helps improve customer service. Real-time information on delivery time helps organizations make strategic decisions on improvising customer service. It helps the end-customers track the order via the Internet. RFID technology allows customers to track the goods sent through delivery service providers such as DHL, FedEx, and Blue Dart. Post offices have also employed this technology to improve their customer service.



RFID readers play a critical role in inventory management and are finding tremendous response in many big stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and apparel stores. This market research report by the emphasizes on the involvement of RFID readers in different end-user segments like healthcare, transportation, and retail. The increasing incorporation of RFID readers in these segments is expected to result in its impressive market growth rate of more than 21% by 2020.

The ability of RFID readers to reduce errors pertaining to data entry is a key driver for the growth of this market. With the introduction of RFID and barcode systems firms are able to record and recognize data entries automatically with more precision. It not only helps in the automation of data entries but also corrects warehouse errors. The ability of these readers to facilitate the efficient tracking of assets is a significant factor that is expected to foster its adoption during the forecast period.

RFID tags made mandatory for transport vehicles in State

The Indian State government has decided to make it mandatory for the transporters having operations in Andhra Pradesh to obtain radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or any other tracking device. The government will forthwith impose hefty penalty of Rs. 10,000 or more on the transporters for not obtaining the tag along with the transit pass or tampering the tag. It has decided to levy penalty of Rs. 15,000 for each offence of non-production of transport declarations. This forms some of the major amendments proposed by the Government in the Andhra Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005.

IBM Is Bringing in Watson to Conquer The Internet of Things

Watson—IBM’s cognitive computing service that plays Jeopardy, assists doctors in diagnosing patients, and helps financial service professionals recommend products to clients—now has a new role. Watson will help IBM  clients shuffle through reams of data expected to be generated by the masses of connected objects coming online as part of the Internet of things. Watson’s skills will be made available as part of the services offered to customers who come in through IBM’s IoT Foundation cloud product.

Brisbane public transport smart card system ‘outdated’ but new system years away

Community group Rail-Back on Track is concerned that commuters will be stuck with the outdated Go Card system for at least another three years. Department of Transport and Main Roads Director-General and former TransLink boss Neil Scales earlier this month oversaw the calling of tenders for the next generation Go Card. However Cubic Corporation, which maintains the smart card system, announced on November 19 that it had signed a three-year contract extension with TransLink and would respond to TransLink Expression of Interest for next-generation transportation smart card system arriving in 2019.

RFID Well Suited for Lebanese Menwear Company

Lebanese men's suit brand and retailer Pellini has launched a radio frequency identification system to better manage its inventory as it expands the number of its stores throughout the Middle East and Europe. The ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID EPC solution, known as Smart RFID, was provided by Swiss and Polish technology startup Smart Technology Group, and was installed and integrated into Pellini's existing management system by B.I.T. Security Solutions.

Innovative RFID tags from HellermannTyton

HellermannTyton has developed a range of nylon and stainless steel identification cable ties complete with an integrated RFID tag, which enable users to save time and implement secure cable management solutions. HellermannTyton’s new single fix RFID cable tie enables users to easily integrate data within a cable tie and fix cables and equipment that need to carry a serial number for tracking and identification purposes. The single fix RFID cable tie provides larger capacity and productivity, working in sync with existing systems.

Tesla Introduces RFID-Blocking iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Leather Wallet Case

Tesla has introduced RFID-blocking iPhone 6 and 6 Plus leather wallet cases to its online store, as spotted by 9 to 5 Mac. Each case carries a price of $50, half the $100 cost of Apple's Smart Battery Case.

BarTender Barcode and Label Software Updated for 2016

Seagull Scientific, developer of BarTender barcode and label design software, recently issued a major update to BarTender -- and it's now available directly from DuraFast Label Company. BarTender 2016 incorporates significant improvements, making it easier than ever for users to use.
       
Some of the more notable changes to the Professional edition of BarTender 2016 include: improved support for RFID encoding, improved data entry forms, and enhanced scripting. For those stepping up to the Enterprise Automation edition, a new BarTender Integration Builder, BarTender Print Portal, BarTender Administration Console, and Visual Basic Scripting Editor have been added along with other improvements such as improved database connectivity. Both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of BarTender 2016 are available across the entire BarTender 2016 family.
       
BarTender 2016, like its predecessor, is used to professionally design, print, control, and automate labels with modern color label printers. It is especially useful for businesses that must comply with GHS BS5609 labeling regulations, food labeling laws, or FDA UDI regulations. BarTender 2016 is commonly used to design, manage, automate, and print labels, barcodes, RFID labels, and cards/badges.
   
The release of BarTender 2016 coincides with Seagull Scientific's 30th anniversary which is also being celebrated with a new visual identity both for the BarTender 2016 product and the company itself. According to Seagull Scientific's president, Harold Boe, the new BarTender logo will be used everywhere, in place of the old logo and the company's logo, in acknowledgement of the trust and reputation BarTender software has earned with customers around the world.

Smart card on anvil for seamless travel

When the metro train finally arrives by late 2017, for an Amdavadi, it is in all likelihood going to be a pleasant experience of travelling in a seamless transport network. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and MetroLink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) have in principle agreed recently to come out with a single smart card or RFID chipembedded ticket that will work for the metro , BRTS and AMTS ser vices. This has been confirmed by MEGA managing director I P Gautam.

Wireless War Erupts Over ‘Internet of Things’

Cellular and Wi-Fi networks are good for connecting smartphones, tablets and laptops. But different technology may be needed when things such as parking meters and vending machines need to communicate. That is the thesis driving a crop of companies promoting a new breed of wireless networks.  Silver Spring Networks Inc.,  a Silicon Valley company best known for developing systems that let utility meters transmit data on energy usage, is the latest to unveil a plan to connect a variety of industrial and consumer machines collectively known as the Internet of Things, or IoT.

Checkpoint Introduces Dual Integrated RF-RFID Labels; UNO Series Enables Practical Migration Path to RFID

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. announced patent-pending dual RF-RFID labels that incorporate UCODE 7 chips from NXP. The UNO Series helps retailers protect health/beauty/cosmetics categories, hard goods and apparel merchandise using their current electronic article surveillance (EAS) infrastructures -- while at the same time delivering radio-frequency identification (RFID) benefits in inventory cycle counting and merchandise management for omni-channel fulfillment and auto replenishment.

The UNO Series with UCODE 7 chip requires less power for increased read and write sensitivity -- providing faster performance in reading and encoding. It also provides greater broadband width, which enables improved functionality internationally, where the frequencies of readers’ RF signals vary from region to region. This means that regardless of the point of manufacture or destination location, the UCODE 7 will perform reliably.

UNO labels were specifically developed to provide a more affordable upgrade path, allowing retailers currently utilizing EAS protection to transition to RFID by providing the option to apply it to certain merchandise categories and still leverage the EAS infrastructure they already have at stores.

In fact, the first Checkpoint health & beauty retail customer has already begun implementing UNO labels with great success improving its inventory visibility and reducing out-of-stocks. This retailer stated that because of the accurate inventory visibility with this new technology, it has now reduced its inventory counts and still improved out-of-stock metrics. A majority of Checkpoint EAS pedestals are already easily upgradeable with an available RFID kit.

Krispy Kreme Pipes Out an Edible Mobile Barcode

Donut bakery chain Krispy Kreme has come up with an innovative new approach to the mobile barcode, with a scannable video that users can show at a store for a discount, created by dripping various streams of the company’s glazing onto a batch of donuts. The campaign is part of the company’s “Day of the Dozens’ promotion, and aims to use mobile and video to drive bricks-and-mortar activations by providing customers with a buy-one-get-one-free offer when they purchase the brand’s iconic dozen Original Glazed donuts.

Municipalities Use RFID-based WISTAR to Take Out the Trash

Several years ago, waste management container company SSI Schaefer Systems Int. Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of the Schaefer Group, introduced its RFID-based Wireless ID Scanning, Tracking and Recovery (WISTAR) system to enable its customers to track their waste containers more easily after they were distributed to homes and businesses. WISTAR consists of embedding RFID tags in the Schaefer containers, as well as offering a Web portal where customers could access and manage information regarding their assets, based on the collected RFID data. The solution was co-developed by SeedSpark, which provided the RFID technology and cloud-based software to manage the read data.

Smart cards are here, but most stores can’t process them

A recent survey by the consumer advocacy organization, ConsumerWorld.org, has found that that while virtually all of national and regional retailers surveyed have installed checkout terminals with slots to read credit cards with embedded computer chips, three-quarters of them have not yet enabled the technology chainwide.

Credit card issuers established an Oct.1, 2015, deadline for stores to begin accepting EMV cards (which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa — the three credit companies that established U.S. smart card technical standards) or risk-bearing full-financial liability for any fraud losses. Previously, card issuers were responsible.

Commercial airport baggage handling systems market to grow at 8%

Global Commercial Airport Baggage Handling Systems Market 2016-2020 research report, growing usage of RFID technology in baggage handling is also expected to fuel the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, companies such as SITA have implemented global IP-based networks for efficient baggage handling.

The market research analyst predicts the global commercial airport baggage handling systems market to grow at a CAGR of around 8% between 2016 and 2020. The airport terminal expansions and new airport construction projects worldwide is driving the growth of the market.

For instance, countries such as China, Turkey, and the UAE are currently undergoing multiple large airport construction projects. Moreover, major airports such as the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the US handle a large number of passengers on a daily basis and are anticipated to spend million on improved baggage handling systems.

Cyclists in Denmark can sail through red lights with special RFID tag

Cycling in Denmark could now be more efficient than ever pending a trial where bikes are fitted with RFID tags that allow cyclists to breeze through red lights without even slowing down. The tags, fitted to around 200 bicycles so far, turn red lights green when cyclists approach one intersection in Aarhus, Denmark. If the trial is successful, more than 1,000 tags will be fitted and more intersections will run the scheme, Louise Overgaard, who works on the project, told Tech Insider (link is external).

Taiwanese Auction Company Sold on RFID

Second-hand luxury goods auction company Bang Master Group (BMG) is employing RFID as part of an automated process for collecting information regarding each item's seller, appraisal and auction sale, as well as unsold inventory. Since the system was introduced in September 2015, the company reports, it has reduced inventory-counting time following auctions, and has ensured that no counterfeits are swapped for authentic goods at any time during the receiving, appraisal or sale process. The system, provided by EPC Solutions Taiwan, consists of passive EPC Gen 2 ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags, fixed and handheld readers, and software to manage the collected RFID read data and forward it to BMG's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Metro smart-card pass moves to testing in buses

Metro Transit (St. Louis) said Thursday that it had moved into the next phase of testing its new Gateway Card, a smart-card system that will eventually replace paper tickets, passes and transfers on MetroLink and buses. Metro officials have said the plastic card will offer a more secure and convenient upgrade to the current cash, pass and ticket fare system

Will shoppers use Ralph Lauren's RFID dressing room?

Retail's bizarre fascination with high-tech mirrors that shoppers show no interest in using at all continues. This time it's Ralph Lauren toying with RFID-enabled dressing-room mirrors. In the Ralph Lauren trial, RFID tags embedded in clothing are detected by the dressing-room mirror. Details about those items are displayed on the mirror (several languages are supported), and the system also appears to sync with inventory and point-of-sale systems. The best part, though, has nothing to do with RFID or database integration.

Clothing Retailer JBC Rolls Out Checkpoint Systems' RFID Across All Stores

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. have rolled out radio-frequency identification(RFID) throughout JBC's entire supply chain, from point of production through its distribution center (DC) to its 144 stores in the region.

JBC is pioneering the adoption of RFID technology in Belgium to provide accurate merchandise visibility through its supply chain with the objective of enabling omni-channel retailing and enhancing its shoppers’ experience. JBC now tracks over 17 million items a year, from the moment of production of its 100 suppliers around the world up to the time they are sold in its 144 stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. This technology investment allows JBC to optimize its stock of 1.5 million hanging garments and 15.5 million flat-packed garments to minimize out-of-stocks and enhance its shopper’s experience online or in-store.

Microsoft updates Windows 10 IoT, adds new Core Pro version

Microsoft has updated its Windows 10 IoT (Internet of Things) version of Windows 10, and has added a new IoT SKU to its line-up, as well. Microsoft initially delivered its Windows 10 IoT release (codenamed "Athens") -- designed for the maker community -- earlier this summer. On December 3, Microsoft updated that IoT release to build 10586. Build 10586 (also known as Windows 10 1511) is the "November Update," its first major update to Windows 10, which Microsoft recently made available in Windows 10 for PC and Windows 10 Mobile form.

Visa brings NFC to analog with Swatch mobile payments watch

The Swatch Bellamy will bring "pay by wrist" in the US, Switzerland Brazil, anywhere that NFC contactless payment is available in-store. Payments will be conducted via Visa technology, and the NFC chip that facilitates the payments will be built into the watch, hidden under the dial.

Barilla Uses RFID to Automate Home-Cooking

Italian food company Barilla has launched an RFID-enabled product, known as Cucina Barilla, that employs passive high-frequency (HF) RFID tags and readers to enable consumers to easily operate an oven dedicated to preparing and baking pasta, risottos, bread, pizza, focaccia and cakes. The system is one of several initiatives Barilla has underway that use technology to improve the consumer experience by automatically accessing data about its products or their ingredients.

These RFID Tags Allow Danish Cyclists To Turn Traffic Lights Green

It really must be heaven to be a cyclist in Denmark. You get lovely, dedicated infrastructure, like this new bridge. You get cities that run analyses showing how bikes are good for people, and cars aren't. And now, if you live in Aarhus, you can get a special tag to help beat the traffic lights. Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city, is currently running a trial where cyclists are given RFID tags that they attach to their wheels. As they approach a junction, the tag sends a signal to a nearby reader, which in turn switches the light to green. Cyclists never even have to stop, even as car drivers on the other side of the junction are brought to a standstill.

Is your network ready for IoT devices?

The stats are here: investment bank Goldman Sachs cites the Internet of Things as a $7 trillion opportunity by 2020 -- with IoT set to have an impact at every stage in the production and distribution of products. Wikibon predicts the value of efficiency savings from machine data alone could reach close to $1.3 trillion and will drive $514 billion in IT spend by 2020. Manish Sablok, head of Field Marketing, North West and East Europe at ALE, looks at the four fundamental network requirements to enable businesses to take full advantage of the transformations that IoT will drive.

Are RFID Chips Medically Safe For Our Children?

While Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) has been around for over 90 years, few people had any idea about it. Nonetheless, it has stealthily grown to be a significant part of everyone’s life. Today, most likely not a day passes without you using some sort of RFID reader, and the things you purchase are certainly scanned at least once every week. Of particular interest is the growing use of RFID chips in our children for various purposes, like tracking and medical monitoring. Today, the focus is to examine whether or not these chips are medically safe for children.

PayPal Demos RFID Payment Bracelets

PayPal is promoting new contactless payment bracelets custom-designed for concerts and festivals.
The bracelets use RFID technology to enable the cashless payments; users simply need to link their PayPal accounts to the devices and they are off and running. It’s a novel solution aimed at making it easier to buy food, merchandise and other products without having to carry one’s whole wallet around at a major concert, music festival, or other such event.

Development Challenges for the Internet of Things

One of the challenges that IoT development teams are facing across the board is the struggle to assemble their system. The assembly complications arise from the fact that the components have to be procured from a variety of different sources. These include different components, tools and frameworks. As the ecosystem continues to mature, the level of entropy will gradually decrease. With more companies diving into the development of IoT-related products, we will see a wide array of tools, frameworks, and standards popping up to lend more support to the ecosystem.

Moods of Norway Opts for Checkpoint RFID Labels, Tests Fixed Readers

For the past year, Moods of Norway's clothing suppliers have been RFID-tagging all garments sold by the stores that the Norwegian retailer operates. The company announced that its suppliers are now using Checkpoint Systems Zephyr 2 EPC ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID labels, which employees read weekly at 14 of its stores in order to improve inventory accuracy.

Square’s New Reader Takes NFC Mobile Payments

Square, the payment dongle that you see stuffed into iPads at all of your favorite overpriced coffee shops in hipster neighborhoods across the US, has a new reader out that allows merchants to accept mobile payments over NFC. Square has teamed up with 100 local businesses for today’s launch, but the plan is obviously to make this a much bigger rollout over time.

Alarm bells ringing over smart card delays: Morantz

The city’s finance chair says “alarm bells are going off” over a long-delayed smart card payment option for Winnipeg Transit riders. Coun. Marty Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge) said he’s concerned the program may not succeed. “I want to make sure we’re not dragging something out that we’re not going to be able to execute on,” said Morantz during Thursday’s finance committee meeting.

Swatch partners with Visa for NFC-based watch

Switzerland’s Swatch Group signed credit card giant Visa as the payments partner for the launch of its NFC-enabled wrist watch outside China, said Le Temps. The Swatch Bellamy will launch in China in January 2016, the company announced last month. Its partner is China UnionPay, the country’s dominant card-payment processor.

Matsui makes RFID licensing deal with Walker Digital

Matsui Gaming Machine Co Ltd, also known as Matsui Group, a specialist in casino currency and table layouts, says it has made a technology licensing agreement with Walker Digital Table Systems LLC, a specialist in technology for casino games. Under the deal, Matsui will manufacture and supply gaming chips that can be tracked – on compatible casino tables or within a certain geographical range – via specialised radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.

This site will tell you if your fake ID’s bar code is real, or total nonsense

Earlier this month, we discovered that if you leave an airplane boarding pass lying around, someone could pick it up and run its bar code through a scanner to discover information hidden away that wasn’t printed on the actual ticket. To test that discovery out, most people went to a free online bar code scanner from Inlite Research, a company that specializes in making bar codes. The company’s VP of marketing, Michael Salzman, was surprised by the traffic bump he got as a result of the boarding pass incident, and more surprised by what people were scanning.

Chinese Nuclear Plant Tracks Workers With RFID

The Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, part of the China National Nuclear Corp. , has deployed a system that employs passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags and readers to identify the locations of thousands of workers, according to zone, as well as help locate individuals in the event of an emergency and prevent anyone from entering unauthorized areas. Since installing the solution last year, the company has also been able to use it to verify workers' hours, according to Sun International, the system's provider.

The Eloquence of the Barcode

The history of the barcode is not as cut and dry as one would think. More than one group has been credited with inventing the technology. How does one encode data on a machine, store it on a physical media, then read it at some later date? Punch cards and paper tape have been doing that for centuries. The problem was storing that data without cutting holes in the carrier. The overall issue was common enough that efforts were launched in several different industries. In the 1930’s, John Kermode, Douglas Young, and Harry Sparkes created a four bar barcode. They were Westinghouse engineers, and not surprisingly the application was to automate the payment processing of electric power bills.

Longest Chance Offers RFID Baggage-Handling Technology as Service

A Russian airline and four airports have completed a pilot, under the oversight of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), of an RFID-enabled baggage-tracking system in Europe as part of the IATA's Resolution 753 requirements. The resolution is aimed at requiring airlines to accurately monitor the acquisition and delivery of each item of baggage by June 2018. The solution, known as the Hand-to-Hand RFID Baggage Tracking System (HHRBTS), was supplied by Hong Kong RFID solution provider Longest Chance. The six-week pilot began in early September and ended late last month.

Singtel adds NFC to Dash mobile payments service

Singapore mobile network operator Singtel has added NFC to its Dash mobile payment platform, letting customers make in-store payments with a tap. The NFC feature is available at more than 200 NTUC FairPrice locations, including FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets and standalone Cheers outlets.

Polo Ralph Lauren Store Gets Smart Fitting Rooms

Ralph Lauren Corp. opened eight RFID-enabled interactive fitting rooms this week at its Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store located on New York City's Fifth Avenue. The company plans to install such fitting rooms in additional stores as well, following an evaluation of their effectiveness at the New York location. The interactive technology, provided by startup Oak Labs, consists of a smart mirror with a touchscreen and a built-in RFID reader to identify the RFID tag of every garment brought into a fitting room.

Impinj Launches RAIN RFID Retail Solutions With Detego, Inmotion and Nedap

Impinj, Inc. today announced the first solutions in its retail portfolio, built in collaboration with partners Detego, Nedap and Inmotion. Based on the Impinj platform, these end-to-end solutions answer the needs of retailers looking to improve store operations, deliver exceptional customer experience and improve sales.

The solutions deliver item-level visibility and in-store analytics with Detego, inventory intelligence with Nedap, and interactive visual displays with Inmotion. Impinj plans to continue adding solutions to its retail portfolio, as well as introduce portfolios for other industries.

The solutions are built on the Impinj platform, which comprises endpoints (tag chips that uniquely identify items), connectivity (readers and gateways that wirelessly identify the items) and software.
The Impinj platform is the most comprehensive and widely deployed RAIN RFID platform. It gives businesses the ability to implement one infrastructure and leverage Item Intelligence -- item identity, location and authenticity -- in any number of enterprise applications to run their business and deliver compelling consumer experiences.

The Impinj and Detego solution delivers intelligent item-level article management and in-store analytics through complete, real-time supply-chain visibility. The solution delivers insights to store managers about merchandise flow and product availability, allowing them to minimize markdowns.
The solution helps apparel companies receive accurate inventory information and track goods from point-of-manufacturing to point-of-sale. The resulting benefits for retailers include increased delivery accuracy and fewer mis-shipments, reduced processing costs, and improved inventory accuracy thereby leading to more sales.

RFID Goes to Bat Against Gray Market for DeMarini Sports

Sporting goods company DeMarini Sports is employing radio frequency identification technology to track its baseball and softball bats, thereby ensuring the integrity of the supply chain for its high-value products. An ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID solution provided by Entrigal Systems makes it possible for the firm to automatically create a record of each bat's shipment to a specific retailer, so that if the bat turns up listed elsewhere—for instance, for sale on eBay—the company can identify the original retailer to which that item was shipped.

Startup unveils Bitcoin mobile wallet with NFC

Startup Plutus is inviting consumers to take part in the alpha release of a Bitcoin mobile wallet that allows POS transactions via NFC. “It is powered by a Decentralised Exchange Network (DEX), which traders can use to buy and sell Bitcoin in return for fiat at the checkout,” the company says. “Merchants do not need to directly accept any digital currencies and customers can convert their balance into fiat on-the-go.”